Enhanced governmental oversight of foreign investments in rare earths

In 2010 the Japanese manufacturing sector suffered a significant disruption following an unofficial ban by China on all exports of rare earths to Japan.  Rare earths are of great importance to the Japanese manufacturing sector because they are essential components for manufacturing numerous electronic and high-technology devices, including: mobile phones; computer hard drives; medical imaging equipment; electric motors; missile and aircraft guidance and control systems; optics; radar; guided weapons; and telecommunications.This incident highlighted the importance of secure supply chains as a matter of national economic security and, more specifically, the critical role of rare earths in the manufacturing sector.In recognition of the importance of rare earths for Japan's economic security, on 18 August 2021 the government announced certain amendments to…To read the full article, please see the PDF file